The horrific testimony of officers attacked during the Capitol riot

The January 6 House committee is in charge of investigating the events that led up to and occurred during the Capitol riot.

The committee has only held one public hearing, and it featured the shocking testimony of the police officers defending the Capitol the day MAGA rioters overtook it.

Both Capitol Police and DC Metropolitan Police officers shared their experiences during the riot at the hearing which was held in July of 2021.

During the hearing they described being beaten, blinded by lasers, sprayed with chemical irritants, and fearing for their lives during the attack.

Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell (pictured) said, "The physical violence we experienced was horrific and devastating," he said. "My fellow officers and I were punched, kicked, shoved, sprayed with chemical irritants and even blinded with eye-damaging lasers by a violent mob."

Sgt. Aquilino Gonell continued,  "I was particularly shocked at seeing the insurrectionists violently attack us with the very American flag that they claimed they sought to protect."

DC Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges (pictured) could only describe his fellow countrymen as "terrorists" and like members of a "cult."

Given the violent nature of his attackers, it is not surprising: "Terrorists pushed through the line and engaged us in hand-to-hand combat. ... One latched onto my face and got his thumb in my right eye, attempting to gouge it out. I cried out in pain and managed to shake him off."

Officer Hodges fellow DC Metropolitan force member Officer Michael Fanone (pictured) said he can still remember the mob chanting he should be killed.

Fanone testified, "I was at risk of being stripped of and killed with my own firearm as I heard chants of 'Kill him with his own gun.' I can still hear those words in my head today."

Officer Fanone also said, "What makes the struggle harder and more painful is to know so many of my fellow citizens, including so many of the people I put my life at risk to defend, are downplaying or outright denying what happened."

Unsurprisingly, the mob attacking the Capitol held no qualms about verbally abusing black police officers attempting to protect the premises during the raid.

Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn (pictured) , testified, "In the days following the attempted insurrection, other Black officers shared with me their own stories of racial abuse on January 6."

Five teams on the Jan. 6 House committee are responsible for the investigation of all that occurred on the day of the riot.

In addition, they will look into the events that caused the riot to happen. As we roll into 2022, the committee hopes to make more of its findings public and hold hearings to clarify the event of January 6, 2021.

The House committee must also decide who is legally responsible for the riot, which resulted in the death of five individuals and four officers who were so traumatized they took their own lives following the riot.